Marianist Education: Characteristics of

CHARACTERISTICS OF
Marianist Education
twenty-fifth anniversary edition
Characteristics of
Marianist Education
Society of Mary, Marianists
Province of the United States
Approved English-language version

Office of Education, General Administration
Rome, 1996
Revised 2020
Cover image photo of stained glass window taken by Larry Burgess

Table of Contents
Preface to the 1996 Edition.....................................................................5

Preface to the 2020 Edition.....................................................................9
Marianist Education.................................................................................12
Marianist Spirituality and Marianist Education..................................15
Educate for Formation in Faith..............................................................20
Provide an Integral, Quality Education.................................................24
Educate in Family Spirit...........................................................................29
Educate for Service, Justice, Peace
and the Integrity of Creation..................................................................33
Educate for Adaptation and Change.....................................................38
Conclusion.................................................................................................42
Message to All Collaborators in the Mission
of the Society of Mary..............................................................................45
Selected Source Books of Citations.......................................................47
Endnotes....................................................................................................49
“Persons influence us, voices melt us,
books subdue us, deeds inflame us.”
—S T. J O H N H E N RY N E W M A N
Preface to the 1996 Edition
Education has always been a mixture of all these elements—and

more. In presenting this document on the Characteristics of
Marianist Education, I do so with a sense of humility, hope and
gratitude. The General Chapter of 1991 of the Society of Mary
(SM) recognized the need for a “prudent adaptation to the times,”
when it called for the articulation of the common elements of the
Marianist educational philosophy and spirit. In this sense, it was
faithful to one of Father Chaminade’s basic principles in acting as
a genuine Marianist educational learning community. The present
document, in fulfilling this call, seeks in its turn to stimulate such
learning communities around the Marianist world.
Accordingly, this elaboration of the governing principles of

Marianist education is one moment in a longer journey that began
with the first Marianists, members of the Bordeaux Sodality who
were educators and who later became members of the Society of
Mary.
The effort continued in the first days of the Society’s educational

efforts, which saw an early attempt to outline certain aspects of this
distinctive approach in the Ancienne Méthode 1824 and the Manuel
de Pédagogie Chrétienne à l’Usage de Frères Institueurs de la Société de
Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary 5

Marie (1856). Many other Marianist educators in various countries
carried on the venture, and, a few years before the Second Vatican
Council, Father Paul J. Hoffer, SM, published a rich synthesis of the
Marianist approach in Pédagogie Marianiste (1956).
The international team of Marianistsi who has written this

contemporary elaboration of our tradition hopes it will serve as a
source of energy and grace for all of us in Marianist education, as
we seize the task of faithfully and fruitfully living out our common
identity for the sake of the reign of God.ii
Our times are characterized by more and more people all over
the world experiencing a deeper and broader sense of power over
their own lives, of becoming increasingly interdependent, and yet
still being surrounded by poverty and local and regional conflicts.
If Marianist education is to be a source of Good News within this
context, it must have something to say at the point of the needs
and desires of today and tomorrow. When Chaminade said, in
1824, “Who does not see that since the Revolution, a new fulcrum
must be found for the lever that moves the modern world?” he
had the same conviction. The signs of our times also find an echo
in Chaminade’s emphasis on “the young and the poor,” hence our
desire to find creative new ways to bring a better education to the
neediest and the marginalized.
I believe that the educational efforts of the Marianist Family can

contribute on all three levels of the major forces moving the world
today:
• Transnational: Developing and implementing the

Characteristics of Marianist Education project requires crossing
national and continental borders.
• Regional: The Zonal Conferences of the Conference of African
Marianists, the Asian Zonal Conference, the Conference
of European Marianists, the Conference of Latin American
Marianists, and the Marianist Conference of North America
are responding by gathering the talents of their various
regions for reflection and action.
• Local: Each province and region of the Society of Mary is
6 Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary

called to bring together—in bodies such as commissions,
institutes or forums—lay and religious educators so they can
put the Characteristics of Marianist Education into action
daily in our educational endeavors.
The leadership of the Society of Mary is behind this initiative. In

1994, Father Quentin Hakenewerth, SM, Superior General of the
Society of Mary at that time, when commenting on the project of
the Characteristics of Marianist Education at a meeting of all the
provincials, vice-provincials and regionals, stated:
The second sign that gives me hope was the concern

for having a clear and common direction for the
Society of Mary … aimed at formation in faith as a new
evangelization. I cannot remember a General Chapter or a
General Leadership Assembly in which the leaders of the
SM consistently spoke of education primarily as a means of
evangelizing in today’s culture.iii
I share this conviction, springing from my visits to almost all the

educational institutions in the Society of Mary over the past four
years. The many lay and religious educators who participate as
partners in the mission of the Marianist educational institution
are a witness that the journey continues. Their competency,
commitment and generosity influence and inflame students to be
the best they can be. That there are hills and valleys along the way
is also true. The present initiative aims to be a means for us to learn
together the next steps that further the intent of our personal and
professional aspirations.
This document acknowledges that there are Marianist educational

writings that have come before and that will be needed after in
order to complement and enculturate these principles. We need
to be keenly aware of that rich diversity as we search for a stable
unity in developing the expression and use of the Characteristics of
Marianist Education. The next steps of the project, which will be
developed by lay and religious educators from around the Marianist
world, will include faculty and staff formation programs based
on the content of this document. The necessity of elaborating
the more specific Marianist pedagogy, to infuse the day-to-day

interactions of teachers and students and administrators with both
Marianist spirituality and the special Characteristics of Marianist
Education, will be a major challenge.
Finally, I want to thank all those who have contributed to this

document. From the outset, this has been a collaborative effort
among a broad spectrum of lay and religious educators. It will
continue along this line and benefit from the creativity of God’s
Spirit active in us. Both creativity and enculturation have been
witnessed to us by Mary of Nazareth—we can count on her
presence in our journey. “Mary, Mother and Teacher of the Church,
accompanied her Son as he grew in wisdom and grace; from its
earliest days, she has accompanied the Church in its mission of
salvation.”iv
Thomas F. Giardino, SM
General Assistant for Education
25 March 1996

Preface to the 2020 Edition
Adaptation and change is one of the Characteristics of Marianist

Education. Hence, it seems fitting that as we prepare to
celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the publication of these
Characteristics (in 2021), we should revisit them to see if they have
held up, given the normal evolution of time and culture. Many
would say that, globally, these past two and a half decades have
seen the most rapid change in humanity’s history. We only have
to think of the introduction of the smartphone, the internet and
innumerable significant changes in family, Church and other social
structures.
The Characteristics have spread around the Marianist world. In the

words of the authors of Identity of Marianist Education: Roots and
Heritage, the volume published by the General Administration in
2017, “… we are pleased to see that this stage is bearing fruit …. We
find these elements—written and lived!—in educational projects.”v
The five basic Characteristics, enculturated in a variety of ways in
different countries, have stimulated thought and action to embody
and express the Marianist Charism in educational settings. The
English-speaking world is no exception as the Characteristics have
generally been enthusiastically received and sincerely lived by
students, faculty, staff and administrators.

Each Characteristic has a number of paragraphs that help to
elaborate the theme. In general, these texts have continued
to inform and inspire. However, we have all lived and learned
and are grappling with new questions. As mentioned above,
some important areas that affect students and educators were
not contemplated when originally written, e.g., the internet,
social media and increased concern for our environment, our
“common home” as Pope Francis has written. In addition, there
are developments in the consciousness of the Marianist Family
such as our call to witness to the “Marian face” of the Church. The
concern with maintaining a proper Marianist identity within our
educational works has also arisen, leading to the publishing by the
General Administration of the document “Assuring the Marianist
Identity of Our Apostolic Works.” Hence, it seemed important
to include such concerns and elements in a new edition of the
Characteristics of Marianist Education.
This edition does just that. There have been certain modifications
in the original Preface, the Introduction, the Conclusion and the
quotations from Marianist sources, the latter reflecting some
significant Marianist educational writings in the past twenty-
five years. Much of the text in the explanatory paragraphs is the
same as in the first edition, but some subheadings have been
reworded along with additions as mentioned above, along with new
quotations from lay Marianist educators.
The 1996 General Chapter of the Society of Mary, once having

articulated the five Characteristics, went on to say: “We understand
that in the many different cultures and nations in which we serve,
adaptation of the texts describing the five Characteristics may be
necessary for the educational institutions.” Hence, each of the
major cultural/linguistic areas of the Society of Mary are adapting
the text as appropriate to their context.
However, the present General Council has reaffirmed the

five original Characteristics as the official articulation of our
educational tradition. Likewise, the spirit of the explanatory
paragraphs is to be observed. This English-language edition,
produced by the Province of the United States of the Society of

Mary (in consultation with the Units of Eastern Africa and India) is
in line with these guidelines and has been reviewed and approved
by the Assistant General for Education, Bro. Essodomna Maximin
Magnan, SM.
An important addition is the “Message to All Collaborators in

the Mission of the Society of Mary” written by the XXXV General
Chapter of the Society of Mary in July 2018. This reflects the
deepening consciousness—already noted in the original edition—of
the partnership with lay collaborators as integral to the Marianist
foundation envisioned by Blessed William Joseph Chaminade.
Accordingly, I want to thank Dr. George Lisjak, Director of the

North American Center for Marianist Studies, for his role in
consulting various lay and vowed religious Marianist educators
to prepare an initial draft of the explanatory paragraphs of the
Characteristics of Marianist Education.
Thomas F. Giardino, SM
June 2020

Marianist Education
Introduction
(1) The General Chapter of the Society of Mary of 1991 called

for a contemporary articulation of the common elements of the
Marianist educational tradition. To this end, serious research,
consultation and discussion were undertaken involving lay and
religious educators who work in Marianist educational institutions
throughout the world. The process was guided by the lived reality
of Marianist spirituality, springing from the foundational charism
of William Joseph Chaminade. In our philosophy and pedagogy, we
aim to:
• educate for formation in faith

• provide an integral, quality education
• educate in family spirit
• educate for service, justice, peace and the integrity of
creationvi
• educate for adaptation and change
(2) This document, with its description of these Characteristics

of Marianist Education, is offered to all associated with Marianist
schools, universities and other educational works, including boards

of directors, administrative personnel, teachers, parents, staff,
students and, in particular, all members of the Society of Mary. All
are invited to work together in the Marianist tradition to support
the mission of the schoolvii adapted to the present times and, more
concretely, to the practices current in the daily life of Marianist
centers of education.viii
(3) God calls us as educators to extend the reign of God in the world
through the Church. Education serves the Church by evangelizing,
working to transform the world and its people, inviting them to
a deeper following of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Alert to the signs
of the times and faithful to Marianist traditions, we consider
ourselves “in a permanent state of mission … forming persons and
communities in a lived faith expressed in service responsive to the
needs of the times.” (RL 63)ix
(4) Marianist education aims to sow, cultivate and bring to fruition

the Christian spirit in the human race. For this reason, in all our
educational institutions, formation in faith and the animating of
Christian communities are truly our priorities. (RL 71, 74)
(5) Consonant with the tradition of the Catholic Church and of

Marianist education, we believe that each person has been created
in the image and likeness of God. Basically good, the human person
is also weakened by sin and must acquire good habits through
personal discipline. Nonetheless, human worth is inherent and not
reducible to occupation or achievement. Endowed with intelligence
and freedom, a person becomes more fully human by serving and
loving in community—an integral, communitarian humanism.
These fundamental principles regarding the human person ought
to inform all Marianist educational activities.
(6) Grounded in this faith-filled view, the Marianist tradition

invites a prudent openness to social and cultural change in the
world, following the maxim of Father Chaminade: “For new times,
new methods.” We encourage the creative imagination. Facing
new times while relying on faith benefits all those who work in
Marianist education, including those of other faiths or no particular
faith, because it so deeply respects what is most human in students
and in one another. In being faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ,

the Word Incarnate, we live with and for the people of our time and
share with them their joys and hopes, their anxieties and sufferings.
(RL 11)
(7) This simple faithfulness to the gospel and to Marianist

pedagogical traditions serves the Church by making available to
all the energy and grace that spring from the Marianist charism.
We hope thereby to revitalize our educational institutions and our
personal presence, to offer people what Father Chaminade believed
that Mary offers to all our lives: “a reason for us to have hope … a
support, a help and a renewed strength.”
Every Marianist work is an incarnation of the

Marianist charism. In light of this, the work develops
its formation plan, based on the missionary plan of
the Unit, which is itself a concrete way of adapting
Chaminade’s missionary vision today.x
(8) Finally, and perhaps most importantly, in this vision and this
work we give encouragement and confidence to each other. Open
and attentive to new approaches, each educator keeps Marianist
education up-to-date by their contributions. Even further, as lay
and religious Marianist educators, we are called to offer to those
around us the testimony of our lives, to live in such a way that
we vigorously revivify the message of the reign of God, already
present in the midst of our world, but the fullness of which is yet
to come. We hope that this renewal and putting into practice of
the Characteristics of Marianist Education will be a blessing for all
those whom we serve in the educational communities in which we
minister.

Marianist Spirituality and Marianist
Education
Marianist Spirituality
(9) The Characteristics of Marianist Education take their distinctive

form from Marianist spirituality. Father Chaminade spent part of
the French Revolution in exile in Saragossa, Spain, where he passed
many hours in prayer and contemplation at the shrine of Our
Lady of the Pillar. Guided by God’s Spirit, he envisioned innovative
missionary strategies that the signs of the time were urgently
demanding.
(10) Upon his return to Bordeaux, Chaminade’s sense of urgency

led him to form a diversity of apostolic communities inspired by
Mary: first, lay communities; then two religious congregations—the
Daughters of Mary Immaculate and the Society of Mary; and finally,
schools, teacher formation and other educational institutions.
This work took many years. It was guided by and at the same time
helped to shape a deepening, distinctively Marianist spirituality.
All subsequent Marianist educational work has been inspired by
this spirituality with its three characteristic dimensions: a spirit of

Marian faith, the building of communities of faith, and a deep sense
of mission.xi
(11) Marian faith, for Chaminade, was a faith of the heart as well
as an intellectual assent, a faith so deep that, like Mary’s, it could
conceive and give birth to Jesus. Mary in her assent embodies the
openness and cooperation with the action of the Holy Spirit that is
at the center of Christian faith. Inspired by the Spirit, Mary brings
Jesus into the world, dramatically showing us that with God, all
things are possible.
(12) Secondly, Chaminade knew that transforming the social

order required the action not just of individuals, but also of many
people working together with a common mission. For Chaminade,
communities of faith were the natural embodiment of a vibrant
Christianity. He frequently cited the example of the first Christians
who held everything in common, prayed and broke bread together.
Moreover, as Mary, first of believers, gathered in prayer with the
apostles in the upper room and gave birth to the Church, so she still
stands at the center of all Marianist communities of faith.
(13) Finally, Father Chaminade worked to infuse these communities

of faith with a deep sense of mission. Faced with the devastation of
the Revolution, Marianist communities of faith aimed at nothing
less than rebuilding the Church. Religious and lay, women and
men, wealthy and poor, they came together and looked to Mary
for inspiration in their great task. Mary, who formed Jesus for his
mission, who despite her great faith had to ponder many things she
did not fully understand, who despite an uncertain future uttered
her fiat—this same Mary will form us, Chaminade believed, under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit to become like Jesus for the sake of
others. The person and influence of Mary is a distinguishing thread
woven throughout the entire fabric of Marianist spirituality.
Spirituality and Education
(14) Marianist spirituality deeply shapes the work of those educators

who are open to be formed through it. The spirit of faith, for
example, helps a teacher to be truly present to students, not only to
teach them but also to love and respect them, created as they are in

the image of God. When an educator is truly present to students,
students are changed. An educator personally transformed through
a faith of the heart teaches students to be not only competent
and capable but also faithful and compassionate. For Marianist
educators, a solid grasp of subject matter and effective, creative
pedagogical techniques are congruent with and necessarily
complemented by a living awareness of the inescapably moral and
spiritual dimensions of education.
(15) Chaminade intended the educational works he founded to be

not merely functional and temporary communities, but enduring
communities of faith. To bring and hold these communities
together, Chaminade held up the ideal of “family spirit” of religious
and lay persons, faculty, staff and students working together to
achieve lasting relationships of friendship and trust, supporting
and challenging each other in developing their mutual gifts. If a
school is to be a community of faith, Chaminade saw clearly that its
leaders, lay and religious, must see their work not merely as a job,
but as a ministry of love and service.
How can a charism, a spirit, a spirituality, inspire a

way of educating? The answer is obvious: through the
anthropology underlying that spirituality. Marianist
Spirituality itself contains a certain conception of
the human person, and from this conception, certain
educational characteristics develop.xii
(16) Finally, Marianist spirituality calls for communities of faith

to exist not simply for the sake of their members, but to share in
the Marianist deep commitment to mission. Marianist schools,
therefore, not only commit themselves to effective education and
mutual support but also encourage teachers and students alike to
emulate Jesus in love of and service to others. Virtue is impossible
without some knowledge; but, unfortunately, even a great deal of
knowledge can exist without virtue. Marianist educators aim to
combine both valuable knowledge and genuine virtue.

(17) Therefore, Marianist educators define success distinctively—
rejoicing when their students are faithful to the spirit of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, exemplifying joy and courage in witnessing to that
gospel, forming communities of faith resonant with the vibrancy
of early Christianity and using their knowledge and competence
to serve and transform society. In countries where Marianist
educators serve in a predominantly non-Christian context, we
present the same ideal, though in an appropriate manner that
respects and promotes faith and truth wherever they are found,
rejoicing when they are lived courageously and in a spirit of service.
(18) In light of the contemporary situation, this mission seems a

daunting one. Mass media daily confronts educators and students
with vistas of grinding poverty, injustice and starvation, with the
details of bloody wars and heartless political oppression. In the
midst of the tumult, educators may wonder whether their efforts
will ever effectively address the pressing needs of the world. At the
same time that we work to alleviate immediate needs and work for
social change, however, we remember that the deepest needs are
those we ourselves cannot fill. The deepest hunger, the hunger that
food by itself cannot satisfy, is the hunger for love, the hunger for
God. The truest liberation, one that government structures alone
cannot provide, is the freedom of being a child of God in solidarity
with one’s sisters and brothers. And the most valuable knowledge,
which merely understanding the ideas of others cannot secure,
comes from loving others.
(19) Educators who impart knowledge for the sake of love and
who teach students to love freedom for the sake of service, sow
seeds that will bear fruit for generations and prepare the ground in
which can grow a pervasive culture of life, of peace, of love. This is
a formidable task, but our lives and our communities strive to be
witnesses to the hope of its possibility. Education in the Marianist
tradition meets the needs of our times with a deep Marian faith,
forged in communities with a mission that effectively manifests the
Good News of God’s mercy and justice.
(20) If Marianist spirituality profoundly shapes Marianist

pedagogy, then the distinctiveness of Marianist pedagogy should

be recognized by the mosaic of these special Characteristics. Years
of educational practice in the Marianist tradition reveal that
distinctiveness in five Characteristics:

• educate for service, justice, peace and the integrity of creation

CHARACTERISTIC OF MARIANIST EDUCATION:
Educate for Formation in Faith
A. Strive to imitate Mary’s example of faith and discipleship.
(21) Students in Marianist schools see Mary as a woman who is

strong in faith, especially through the examples and teachings of
their Marianist educators. They see her as a young woman who
trusted God and said “yes” to a call into an unknown future that
transformed her life. They see her faith expressed in the care and
concern evident in her visit to her cousin Elizabeth, the steadfast
devotion and courage in her presence at the foot of the cross, and
the way her presence strengthened the faith of the disciples at
Pentecost. They see that their Marianist educators strive personally
to take on Mary’s mission of bringing Christ to life in their students.
So, as Mary formed her son, Jesus, the Marianist educator fosters in
each student the virtues necessary for faithful discipleship.
B. Be a living witness through a personal and committed faith of

the heart.
(22) Young people need to find a meaning for life that will direct
them in their daily activities, stimulate their practice of personal
values and develop their faith. Marianist educators, with their

mission of forming others in faith, accompany students in their
search for meaning, enable them to recognize and welcome the
sacred and guide them toward contemplating the good, the true
and the beautiful. Regular and creative liturgical services both form
and express this lived faith. With simplicity and humility, Marianist
educators teach and model the Catholic faith in which their schools
are grounded. This foundation allows students and educators to
engage in interreligious dialogue with others inside and outside
the school.
C. Foster dialogue between faith and culture.
(23) In the search for truth, the Marianist educator is called to both
lead and learn from dialogue between faith and culture. Marianist
schools provide opportunities for faith sharing and quiet reflection
for both students and staff members. These opportunities encourage
a deeper understanding of the interrelationship of faith and the rest
of life, an appreciation of the importance of gospel values in a world
where they are often missing, and the practice of open-mindedness
and tolerance that includes being a prophetic witness. Marianist
educators—valuing both faith and reason—utilize the rich culture
of our Marianist educational traditions while adapting to the
cultural differences present in the school community to stimulate
meaningful dialogue in and out of the classroom.
[The Catholic school] must develop persons who are

responsible and inner-directed, capable of choosing
freely in conformity with their conscience.xiii
D. Form students in gospel values and Christian attitudes.
(24) Marianist educators know that religious practices are

formative. By aiding students in the practice of Christian virtue,
Marianist educators hope, with Father Chaminade, to create a
“people of saints.” Further, Marianist educators commit themselves
to living gospel values and working to form students to be Christ-
like. Students who respond to moral and ethical problems with

the courage and compassion that the gospel teaches are prepared
to become full and active members of their communities and are
motivated to build a society of solidarity, justice and peace.
Through Mary, Marianist education invites

students to consider a powerful, but gentler side
of faith …. I think most Catholic schools call students
to a relationship with Jesus. Marianist schools take it
a step further and invite young people to a
relationship with Christ and with Mary.xiv
E. Build communities of faith that bring the gospel to life.
(25) Communities of faith and hope renew all creation and make
known the reign of God. By their personal example in living
out the Marianist charism, Marianist educators challenge their
students to develop an authentic interior spirit and a personal
response to God’s call. Together, teachers and students create
model communities of faith centered in love and service. Such
communities bear witness to the truth of Chaminade’s words, “The
Gospel can be lived today as in the early days of the Church.” True
to Mary’s mission, we bring Christ to the world and believe that
with God, all things are possible.

Quotations from Marianist Sources
Educate for Formation in Faith
(26) “Our primary objective is formation in faith. In particular, we

aim to motivate and train apostles and to foster communities of
dedicated lay people.” —RL 71.
(27) “Christian education is unthinkable outside a climate

permeated by faith …. The spirit of faith helps them [educators] to
free themselves from self-love … and all personal ambition.” —Paul
J. Hoffer, SM, Pédagogie Marianiste (Paris: Centre de Documentation
Scolaire, 1956), 468.
(28) “Going back to the fundamental principles of Marianist

education demands that we seriously rethink about what
understanding of God we are conveying, what experience of God
we are communicating as we teach.” —José María Arnaiz, SM et
al, Principles of Marianist Educational Praxis (Rome: SM General
Administration, 2014), 91.
(29) “The place where faith is witnessed by the community

should be beautiful. Beauty and art convey a different level of the
experience of God than do intellectual study or even faith-sharing
within the community.” —Stephen M. Glodek, SM, Marianist
Educational Praxis: Institutions, Agents and Recipients (Rome: SM
General Administration, 2014), 60.
(30) “Each Marianist school should make every effort: to

maintain the Catholic and Marianist identity of the school; to
encourage commitment among all faculty members to personal
spiritual growth and the formation of faith of the entire school
community—students, service workers, alumni, and parent groups;
to provide for the involvement of lay teachers in the Marianist
spirituality and approach to the apostolate …” —Vision and Journey,
Document of the SM General Chapter of 1986, no. 34.

Provide an Integral, Quality

Education
A. Embrace Mary as a model of integrity.
(31) Mary lived her life as a woman of integrity, faithful to her God
and to her mission. Her entire being was and is focused on bringing
Christ into the world. All we know of her life reflects this purpose.
Mary was the first educator of Jesus. She brought together God’s
revelation and her human reason in order to nurture Jesus for the
fullness of his mission. Marianist educators look to her maternal
concern for the integral development of Jesus as our model for
nurturing the development of our students, preparing them to
face the realities of the world with integrity and a deep and broad
competence.
B. Develop respect for the dignity of the person as a unique

daughter or son of God.
(32) Marianist educators view each student first as a child of God,

uniquely gifted. This status carries with it a dignity deserving
of respect. We encourage students, challenge them and respect

their differences by adapting teaching styles and methods to
their individual needs and abilities. Respecting them enables and
encourages them to respect others, extending to all members of the
school community and beyond. Marianist educational communities
exist not only for the benefit of their members but also to change
the world. Active concern for human rights and responsibilities and
for the meaning of life permeate the curriculum and the daily life of
the school.
To educate in the search for truth requires an

effort to harmonize contents, habits and assessments;
a framework that grows and is conditioned together,
shaping one’s own life. To achieve such harmony,
information or explanation is not enough. What
is merely descriptive or explanatory does not say
everything, it only vanishes. It is necessary to offer,
to show a vital synthesis of them … and that only
comes from witness. We thus enter into one of
the deepest and most beautiful dimensions of an
educator: being a witness.xv
C. Provide a high-quality education of the whole person.
(33) As a parent nurtures the development of their child, Marianist

educators seek to help each student mature as an integrated, whole
person, tending not only to intellectual development but also to
moral, social, psychological, physical and creative development.
Collaboration among academic disciplines and cross-curricular
learning opportunities help students to experience learning as
more than a collection of unrelated subjects. Marianist educators,
including athletic coaches, encourage students to cultivate their
personal talents, nourishing the desire and acquiring the skills
that will equip them to be learners all their lives. Acknowledging
that these talents may take different forms, Marianist schools offer
a variety of high-quality educational opportunities, providing
education in the arts as well as the sciences, in the spiritual as well

as the technical. They create a favorable environment for education,
one in which beauty, simplicity, harmony and creativity flourish.
D. Provide coherent curricula supported by a well-formed

community of professionals.
(34) The curriculum is a school’s primary vehicle for education; the

school’s environment, its primary context for learning. The witness
of faith and the ethical living of the educational community have
their necessary complement in curricula of coherent scope and
sequence that reflect best educational practices. Marianist pedagogy
inspires administration, faculty and staff to develop cutting-edge
twenty-first century programs of study, to continually implement
creative educational practices, and to improve their own distinctive
professional capacities. The Marianist school’s governance structure
provides thoughtful stewardship of the school’s resources and
facilities in support of its Marianist mission.
I see two main things [common to Marianist schools].

First, there’s a focus on the character of the child.
Marianist education is about educating the whole
person, not just about getting a kid ready academically
for college. Second, is following the example of Mary
as someone who accepted a call. She stepped up. That
can be really inspiring to kids. And when you develop a
school around that notion, it can be a powerful thing.xvi
E. Provide opportunities to develop an interior life of reflection,

contemplation and prayer.
(35) Marianist educators encourage students to integrate active lives

of learning and participation with prayer, reflection and service.
Chaminade believed, “The essential is the interior.” To strengthen the
interior life, we provide time inside and outside of class to nurture
habits of silence and reflection. These habits help foster discerning
self-knowledge, disciplined use of social media, critical thinking and
prudent judgment that are fundamental for developing a personal

relationship with Christ. Students learn to use their understanding
and imagination to probe the meaning and consequences of data,
facts and events. They learn, too, that all the academic disciplines are
valuable resources for contemplating themselves and the world in
the light of the gospel. Deepening the interior life motivates them to
active leadership for the common good.
F. Instill a commitment to address global and local issues of the

times that impact the common good.
(36) Marianist educators are committed to the common good on

both global and local levels. We work to inspire our students to be
leaders and to develop this commitment as well. Students learn to
properly use contemporary technologies to understand issues that
impact their world, to effectively communicate about those issues,
and to formulate positions that support and effect strategies for the
common good.
G. Foster respect for diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
(37) The Marianist school welcomes faculty, staff and students who
bring diverse experiences to supporting our Marianist mission. By
honoring the distinctive talents and heritage of all members of the
school community—especially those from minority groups—we
form a genuine learning community that enables each of us to
better respect and appreciate the talents and perspectives of others.
Opportunities for students to share their own perspectives, to listen
to those of others and to reflect on the dialogue encourage a fuller,
richer understanding of issues impacting the common good.

Provide an Integral, Quality Education
(38) “I am strongly desirous that the schools of the capital [Colmar]

measure up to the standard set by ours and that they may become
models for all others of the diocese …. If we intend to do business
by halves, it will not be worth the while to take so much trouble
…. Above all I am determined to form really good establishments,
before being solicitous about their numbers.” —Letters of Father
Chaminade, no. 202 to Mertian, June 18, 1822.
(39) “True education forms the child from inside out.” —F. Kieffer,
SM, L’Autorité dans la Famille et à l’École (Paris: Gabriel Beauchesne,
1920), 10.
(40) “Marianist education seeks excellence in knowledge, trying to

educate wise people, without forgetting that truly wise people not
only know many things, but above all they know the limits of that
knowledge—that is to say, these people know how they know, and
how far their knowledge can take them. With that knowledge, the
true sages keep their reason always open to the “Truth,” in capital
letters, which always exceeds and transcends them. Supported by
the condition of reason, Marianist education is characterized by
offering a solid theological formation cultivated in the dialogue
between reason and faith, between faith and culture.” —Manuel
Cortés, SM, “Marianist Spirit and Education” in Identity of Marianist
Education, Charles-Henri Moulin, SM, and Eddie Alexandre, SM et al
(Rome: SM General Administration, 2017), 271.
(41) “A child and a young person really ought to educate themselves

since they cannot truly assimilate what they have not yet personally
encountered, experienced, and decided for themselves.” —Paul J.
Hoffer, SM, Pédagogie Marianiste (Paris: Centre de Documentation
Scolaire, 1956), 111.
(42) “We don’t educate for the school, nor merely for the years
one is in school, but for life. This idea is of capital importance
in education.” —F. Armentia, SM, Nuestros Chicos … y Nosotros
(Madrid: Ediciones, SM, 1965), 247.

Educate in Family Spirit
A. Demonstrate the Marian traits of hospitality, graciousness and

community-building.
(43) Father Chaminade believed the Holy Family of Nazareth was

the model for Marianist communities. Marianist educational
communities draw from Mary, the soul of the family of Nazareth,
as our inspiration for family spirit. Mary, who pondered things in
her heart, spoke prophetically with words chosen wisely and was
receptive at every moment of her life. She noticed at the wedding
feast at Cana that there was an embarrassing lack of wine, acted
boldly to approach Jesus and then engaged the servants to “do
whatever he tells you.” Modeling Mary’s solidarity with those
in need, we give and receive freely each day with gratitude and
openness to the action of God. Our welcoming spirit signifies our
trust in other people and our faith in God’s loving acceptance of us.
B. Cultivate a nurturing educational culture.
(44) Marianist family spirit is a way of life, with specific traits

discernible in the educational communities it animates. By
providing a climate of acceptance and love, the school acts as an

extended family, nurturing growth, development and personal
responsibility. The school’s culture is rooted in gospel values
and the Marianist charism, and we welcome all people who wish
to enrich that culture. Sustaining, assessing and enhancing the
school’s culture is the responsibility of all members of the school
community.
C. Cultivate interpersonal relationships characterized by

openness, respect, integrity, acceptance and dialogue.
(45) In the Marianist tradition, all members of the educational

community, including boards of directors, administrators, faculty,
staff, parents and students, strive to communicate respectfully
and treat with dignity all members of the community. We prize
physical presence in our communication. We strive to create
a gracious environment by providing time to teach, think and
organize, as well as to praise, thank and celebrate members of the
school community. We listen attentively and engage in dialogue
with trust and empathy, recognizing that we educate by “our every
word, gesture, and look.” By being available and open to others, we
continue to make the gospel vibrant in the daily life of our schools.
In this way a community of learning becomes

an experience of grace, where the teaching
programme contributes to uniting into a harmonious
whole the human and the divine, the Gospel and
culture, faith and life.xvii
D. Form an educational family with collaborative structures and

processes.
(46) The Marianist educational tradition has long been

characterized by shared responsibility for decision-making at
the appropriate levels. Effective collaboration requires good
communication, clear lines of authority, and respect for the
principle of subsidiarity—decision-making at its most immediate
level. Marianist collaboration is evidenced both informally and

through intentional structures and processes that encourage
teamwork among administrators, faculty, staff and students. We
seek effective ways to work with the families of our students for
mutual support and to reinforce our common mission. We extend
this collaborative spirit in our dealings with ecclesial, civic and
other entities and systems within the Marianist world and beyond.
E. Model leadership as loving and dedicated service.
(47) In Marianist educational communities, authority exists

not for its own sake, but for the common good, and helps
students to learn, teachers to educate and administrators to lead
with an inclusive and participative style. Leaders in Marianist
educational communities facilitate change, provide direction,
foster participation and accountability, and communicate clearly
with trust and honesty. Our charism’s underlying spirit of love
and nurturing encourages a “prudent tendency to leniency.” With
compassion and understanding, we call each student to personal
and communal reflection and responsibility.

Educate in Family Spirit
(48) “Integral to family spirit was collaboration, which finds its

deepest rationale and motivation in the scriptural image of the
mystical body of Christ …. Several of the schools founded by
Chaminade owed their existence to the efforts of sodalists who
sought the presence of the Society of Mary or the Daughters of
Mary in their towns.” —Joseph Lackner, SM, Marianist Charism and
Educational Mission (Rome: SM General Administration, 2014), 57.
(49) “Respect for the dignity and freedom of the person leads the
Marianist educator not only to respect individuals, but to love
them and to interact with them as God does. That interaction,
from love and respect, requires dialogue instead of imposition, and
collaboration instead of authoritarianism.” —Manuel Cortés, SM,
“Marianist Spirit and Education” in Identity of Marianist Education,

Charles-Henri Moulin, SM, and Eddie Alexandre, SM et al (Rome: SM
General Administration, 2017), 264.
(50) “The first task of a good administration is to take from the

great Marianist educational heritage all the affective, moral and
intellectual resources which allow the school to set out anew, to
offer a valid, committed and innovative program. Both Mission
and Vision are the first and most important responsibility of the
leadership function.” —Javier Cortés Soriano, SM, and Jesús Àngel
Viguera Llorente, Leadership and Animation: Administration in the
Service of Education (Rome: SM General Administration, 2015), 41.
(51) “Marianist-educated persons exhibit Family Spirit in

relationships. They are capable of developing balanced
interpersonal relationships and successfully maintaining those
relationships …. Their personal experience of community has
taught them the importance of community for ongoing personal
development. They have come away from their Marianist
educational experience with some basic skills in the formation of
community, in whatever circumstances they will find themselves.
They have commitment to and have the skill in ‘staying at the table’
when relationships or community life are strained by conflict.”
—Stephen Glodek, SM, Marianist Praxis, Building Marianist
Educational Culture (Dayton: North American Center for Marianist
Studies, 2012), 11f.
(52) “Granting that educators are prudent and religious persons,

I claim that to impart a good education they must live the life of
the family with their pupils …. There are three ways of giving an
education: by instruction, by example, and by living in community
…. Example becomes proximate, teaching is understood and felt
only through community life.” —Jean-Baptiste Lalanne, quoted in
The Spirit of Our Foundation, vol. 3, no. 379.

Educate for Service, Justice, Peace

and the Integrity of Creation
A. Inspired by the prophetic influence of Mary, proclaim the

goodness and justice of God, denounce oppression and work for
the common good.
(53) Mary’s Magnificat provides us with an imperative for justice.

The Marianist school confronts society’s problems with courage
and seeks their solution with optimism and hope. As Christian and
Marianist, the educational community announces the goodness,
mercy and justice of God, while at the same time denouncing all that
oppresses or degrades the human person, in particular regarding the
status of women. We remember that Mary was forced into exile as
an immigrant. We acknowledge and teach that the degradation of
our environment is social injustice. Students learn to recognize and
to name both justice and oppression through prayerfully seeking
the will of God, through the thoughtful analysis of social conditions,
and through personal and communal witness. In the prophetic
spirit of Mary, teachers and students together read the signs of the
times as constructive, competent critics and agents of change with a
“permanent mission” to witness to the gospel message.

B. Promote a missionary spirit for the reign of God.
(54) “We are all missionaries,” Chaminade said, “and we consider

ourselves on a permanent mission” to witness the Good News of
Jesus Christ. We carry out this mission in a dynamic concern for
the integrity of all of creation. This concern is manifest in how
we treat each other in the classroom and in all school activities
and interactions, in how we respect our local environment,
through service and immersion programs and within the formal
curriculum. Drawing on every available educational resource, we
work to transform our schools into living testimonies to the new
evangelization.
C. Attend to persons who are poor and marginalized.
(55) The Marianist school lives the Christian commitment to

persons who are poor. Our faith inspires abundant opportunities
designed to motivate students to a life of solidarity with and service
to the economically disadvantaged, the marginalized and those
with physical or mental challenges. Staff and students work directly
with and for the poor, developing relationships as well as programs
of physical, emotional, economic, educational and social assistance.
Both the formal and informal curricula of a Marianist school
help students understand the causes of poverty and the roots of
racial and ethnic injustice and seek to inspire them to undertake
thoughtful forms of action that truly respond to these social and
moral problems and promote systemic change.
D. Promote the common good.
(56) Marianist education asserts the dignity of the human person,

created in the image and likeness of God, and so encourages our
students to see the value in all people, unconfined by local cultural
norms. Beyond personal tolerance and acceptance, Marianist
education seeks to enable students to recognize and respond to
instances of sexism, racism and classism that seek to control us and
to begin to understand the systemic nature of injustice. Marianist
schools provide our students both the tools and the motivation to
be promoters of the common good and agents of positive social
change through civic engagement. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis

clearly draws the connection between the common good, the poor
and care for the earth, our common home. Marianist education
embraces this connection, instilling in our students a respect for the
integrity of creation and a commitment to environmental justice.
Pope John Paul II committed all of the over 300,000

social, caring and educational institutions of the
Catholic Church to a concerted and priority strategy
directed to girls and young women, and especially
to the poorest, to ensure for them equality of status,
welfare and opportunity …xviii
E. Walk the talk of justice within our own walls.
(57) Proclaiming justice is important, but it is not enough. Justice in

society requires institutions that treat people fairly. The Marianist
school lives its commitment to human dignity, and to a just and
peaceful society, by establishing just internal institutional structures,
policies and procedures that promote interactions that are respectful,
fair and collaborative. Our schools thus provide our students with
powerful models of just institutions. We begin to create a world
community by first building a distinctive Marianist community
within our school environment, which includes making our schools
affordable and accessible to the economically disadvantaged.
F. Promote programs of service designed to spark a passion for

justice.
(58) Because education itself is essentially communitarian, schools,

including Marianist schools, naturally aspire to serve their local
communities through a variety of activities. For Marianist schools,
it is our faith that inspires us to service and motivates us to help our
students hear and respond to God’s call to serve others. Although
service has inherent value, Marianist education further embraces
it as an important pathway to solidarity with those in need. Service
programs include intentional reflection as a means of connecting
the experience with Catholic social teaching. Such programs

provide students the opportunity to develop sensitivity and skills
for collaboration and leadership, but also cultivate in them the
motivation to become passionate leaders and advocates for social
justice.

Educate for Service, Justice, Peace and the Integrity of
Creation
(59) “We have taken as our motto the great word, so full of meaning
and truth, which Mary addressed to the servants at the wedding
feast of Cana: ‘Whatever He shall say to you, do ye,’ and in this view,
we embrace the work of the Christian Education of youth, and
especially of the poor, the work of the arts and trades, the work of
Sodalities, of retreats and of missions. We undertake all works of
zeal.” —Letters of Father Chaminade, no. 1182 to Valenti, October 31,
1839.
(60) “We work at the direct proclamation of the Gospel and also at
the enrichment of culture and the transformation of society … [in]
unity with those who struggle for justice, liberty and dignity ….”
—Society of Mary, Rule of Life 72.
(61) “One hopes that everyone will enjoy the material and spiritual
advantages of the human community …. In that tiny cosmos which
is the classroom or the school, the students are progressively
initiated into a sensitivity for the common good.” —Paul J. Hoffer,
SM, Pédagogie Marianiste (Paris: Centre de Documentation Scolaire,
1956), 383.
(62) “Missionary consciousness is especially characteristic of

those educators who focus on solidarity. Such an emphasis can
really make a difference in any educational institution. Solidarity
should be a keynote of Christian education. In our educational
programs solidarity means giving high priority to awakening critical
consciousness and fostering habits of empathy, dialogue, respect
and tolerance for those who are different. It means helping people

recognize that all life is a gift, and that each one is responsible for
the stewardship of the material and human gifts he or she has
received, for the good of other people.” —David J. Fleming, SM,
“Educators and Missionaries in a New Key,” Circular #10, September 12,
2003, 106.
(63) “Our educational institutions must avoid forming persons

who for lack of critical spirit assure the permanence of an
unjust order or who form an elite using positions of prestige for
personal advantage rather than providing needed services for the
development of society.” —New Call, Document of the General
Chapter of 1976, no. 37.

CHARACTERISTIC OF MARIANIST EDUCATION
Educate for Adaptation and Change
A. Follow Mary’s words to “do whatever he tells you.” Discern

the movement of the Holy Spirit in response to the signs of the
times.
(64) Marianist education exists in confident, joyful union with

Mary to discern and follow the will of the Holy Spirit, adapting
its pedagogy to the needs that Christ, Mary’s son, calls us to serve.
In Mary’s fiat, we see her openness to the movement of the Holy
Spirit, her “yes” to the mystery of the future. In her counsel at Cana
to “Do whatever he tells you,” we hear Mary urging us today to be
equally available to God’s prophetic call to action. We believe we
are especially called to witness and develop the Marian face of the
Church.
B. Educate to shape the future.
(65) “New times call for new methods,” Chaminade said. The
Marianist school faces the future calmly, integrating acceptance
and adaptation. Thus, our intention is not simple submission to the
future but the hope-filled shaping of it. We encourage this attitude
in our students, educating them to be bearers of the best of our

tradition and to meet change actively with faith-filled discernment
and reflection in light of the signs of our times. From this
formation, our students become leaders who have the desire and
ability to shape the future through social transformation. Fulfilling
the school’s mission in changing times requires that school
personnel wisely employ new methods and new technologies to
enhance their administration and teaching, guided by strategic
planning based on Marianist pedagogy, The Principal Characteristics
of Marianist Administration, and Christian wisdom.
C. Educate persons to accept and respect differences in a

pluralistic society.
(66) We cultivate in our students both skill and virtue. The skills
required for dialogue, consensus and teamwork depend on the
virtues of loving acceptance of others and faithful dedication to a
collaborative, honest and hopeful search for truth. The Marianist
school fosters these virtues by intentionally uniting people from
diverse backgrounds in community. This community provides
direction for our students’ mutual growth through the appreciation
of people with differing values. The Marianist school lives in the
creative tension of being faithful to our own religious tradition in
the midst of a pluralistic society.
If children are properly helped and loved,

they themselves can become peacemakers, builders
of a world of fraternity and solidarity. With their
enthusiasm and youthful idealism, young people can
become ‘witnesses’ and ‘teachers’ of hope
and peace to adults.xix
D. Develop critical thinking skills in the search for truth and to

inspire informed action.
(67) We teach our students to see how Marianist habits of reflection

can help them to understand another’s point of view as well as how
to develop and evaluate alternatives, judge prudently and choose

responsibly. To foster the search for truth, the Marianist school not
only helps students to develop the skills needed to acquire, process
and evaluate information—particularly from social media—but also
encourages them to use what they learn, in the context of faith, to
mindfully guide their actions. Bearing witness with common sense
and practical skills, Marianist educators collaborate to achieve these
goals.
E. Be open and adapt to local and global contexts through

enculturation and interdisciplinary education.
(68) Marianist education adapts to distinctive local cultures.

The Marianist school most benefits its own local community by
complementing this adaptation with global awareness. Toward this
end, Marianist educators encourage the study of world languages
along with connections, real and virtual, to other cultures,
especially within the international Marianist educational network.
Academically, our schools offer integrated curricula, for example,
religion and science, to help students see the interconnectedness of
human knowledge as a sound intellectual foundation for effective
action in an increasingly interdependent world. We provide
opportunities for all our students to put this education into action
through cross-cultural service immersion experiences.

Educate for Adaptation and Change
(69) “Though we are not men of the world, we are not for all that,
men of another age or of another country. Our lives are not hidden,
they are not relegated to the deserts, or passed within the narrow
limits of a cell. To act on the world we are persuaded that we must
know it, and hence our life is mingled with all the movements
that influence the trend of the epoch, and call for a new order of
requirements.” —Jean-Baptiste Lalanne, Address Delivered at the
Distribution of Awards of Institution Sainte-Marie, Rue Bonaparte,
Paris, in 1852, quoted in The Spirit of Our Foundation, vol. 3, no. 394.

(70) “Everywhere we should aim to foster, in a profession that is
notoriously individualistic, teams of educators in mission—people
who work together harmoniously in a shared enterprise for the
human and Christian formation of their students. Teamwork
and partnership have to become still more characteristic of our
educational mission. Working at the heart of a group of fellow
educators to create this spirit and style can be a missionary work
….” —David J. Fleming, SM, “Educators and Missionaries in a New
Key,” Circular #10, September 12, 2003, 104.
(71) “Modern thought has established the principle that without

schools there is no democracy or economic development. If we
wish to live together in peace and move forward together, we must
firmly believe in the civilizing value of the school’s educational
work …” —Antonio Gascón, SM, “Significance and Origin of the
Teaching Apostolate in the Missionary Charism of the Society of Mary”
in Identity of Marianist Education, Charles-Henri Moulin, SM, and
Eddie Alexandre, SM et al (Rome: SM General Administration, 2017),
245.
(72) “There are several mutually related characteristics which are

recognized in all Marianist schools around the world. They can be
summarized as three traits: family spirit, respect for the personality
of the child, and a prudent discernment open to the adaptations
required by changing times and surroundings.” —Paul J. Hoffer, SM,
Pédagogie Marianiste (Paris: Centre de Documentation Scolaire, 1956),
86.
(73) “A school ought to be continually revising its methods, bearing

in mind the complexity and instability of the real world. The
development of new circumstances presupposes on the part of
educators a calm affectivity and respectful humility in the face of
truth.” —Paul J. Hoffer, SM, Pédagogie Marianiste (Paris: Centre de
Documentation Scolaire, 1956), 113.

Conclusion
(74) The Characteristics of Marianist Education are a gift to the

Marianist educational community, but they also present us with a
task. We receive the gift and undertake the task in solidarity with
the whole human family.
(75) This initiative articulating the common elements of Marianist

education calls us to work together toward “the enrichment of
culture and the transformation of society in accord with the
message of salvation.” (RL 72) The call, if heard, will summon forth
our best efforts and bring us, eventually, the joyful and satisfying
knowledge that the world is better because we have worked hard
together. In this missionary spirit—“zeal,” as Chaminade would
say—we strive to:

• educate for service, justice, peace and the integrity of creation
(76) If these Characteristics of Marianist Education are to be

authentic blessings, locally and globally, they must be more than

a momentary flash of light in the shadows of the present times.
The present elaboration is not an ending but a critical moment
in the journey from our origins. Our next steps will need to be
continually and carefully discerned. The gracious promise in these
Characteristics will endure, we believe, because they rest on the
solid foundation of Marianist spirituality: faith, community and
mission animated by Mary’s cooperation with the Spirit of God.
(77) The orientation and dynamism of these Characteristics are a

complement to the competence, collaboration and generosity of
lay and religious educators in Marianist schools, universities and
other centers. The testimony of gifted people united in mind, heart
and action, with a long-term commitment to education will make
a difference for the world in which we live. Chaminade often spoke
of “preventive” apostolic action that called upon those involved to
labor in faith and hope.xx It is also a sign of our times.
The joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the people
of our time, especially of those who are poor or
afflicted in any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and
anguish of the followers of Christ as well.xxi
(78) St. Pope John Paul II has said: “… it can hardly be hoped that
children will one day be able to build a better world unless there
is a specific commitment to their education for peace … children
have a right to a specific training for peace at school and in other
educational settings.”xxii Federico Mayor, former Director-General
of UNESCO, continues this theme: “Peace-building means taking
preventative action …. The problem is that preventive activities
attract neither recognition nor thanks …. We must be prepared …
to take preventive measures to stop problems from degenerating
into conflict. In other words, to establish peace in hearts and minds.
In culture.”xxiii
(79) A world of hopes and shattered dreams strongly pulls us to this

costly venture of living out the promise of the Characteristics of
Marianist Education. It is a venture that may require more than we

may think we can or perhaps want to give. Nevertheless, we have
a tradition of giving more. In 1839, Chaminade wrote that “we too
have been called, as we believe, by Mary herself, to assist her with
all our might in the struggle … of our times.” We—in the tradition
of Marianist education—are called by Mary to fill these times with
the Good News of Jesus Christ.

XXXV General Chapter
Message to All Collaborators in the Mission of the Society of
Mary
29 July, 2018
Rome
Dear Friends,
During the month of July, the delegates to the General Chapter of

the Society of Mary have been meeting at the Marianist General
House in Rome. This leadership meeting happens every six years
and brings together delegates from around the Marianist world.
There are 33 of us, in addition to translators, secretaries and
auxiliary personnel.
We have spent these weeks discussing issues that are important

for Marianist religious life now and for the future: our vocation as
religious, our community life, our call to holiness, the growth of
the wider Marianist Family and our mission in today’s world. We
received an encouraging message from Pope Francis that called us
to fidelity and to zeal.
At the end of our meeting, we wish to address a message to the

many men and women who serve with us in our educational,
pastoral and social service ministries. Some of you have been
important collaborators with us for many years. Some of you
are new to the Marianist mission and are beginning to learn and
appreciate the rich gift of the Marianist charism. Our first word to
you is a deep and heart-felt “thank you” for all that you are and for
all that you bring to our mission together. We are conscious that
the ministries of the Society of Mary are richer and more effective
because of your presence and your service.

Our partnership with lay collaborators is, in fact, an essential
element of our Marianist foundation: Blessed William Joseph
Chaminade’s first ministry was with and for the laity. When he
was beatified in 2000 by St. Pope John Paul II, the pope called
Chaminade “The Apostle of the Laity.” In this, the pope highlighted
an important teaching of Vatican Council II which Bl. Chaminade
anticipated: the universal call to holiness and the essential role and
mission of the laity within the Body of Christ. We are much more
conscious of this today and this grounds all the more our respect
and appreciation of you as valued collaborators. So, our second
word to you is: “continue to embrace the mission with us.”
Our pledge to you is this: to continue sharing, as best we can, the

gift of the Marianist spirit and educational mission. This gift is
centered in faith and features the Mother of Jesus as our model and
inspiration. As she gave Christ to the world in a singular way, we
hope to share her mission of bringing Christ to our world today. In
schools, in parishes, at retreat centers, in social service programs,
our aim is to foster a family spirit where faith is nourished and
where lives are transformed in light of the Gospel. You know
this already since you have been partners with us in this mission,
enriching it with your own gifts, professional expertise, and
insights. So, our third word to you is: “join us in living the Marianist
spirit ever more deeply.”
Finally, our General Chapter affirms the permanent value of the gift
that was given to the Marianist Family through Bl. William Joseph
Chaminade and Bl. Adèle de Batz de Trenquelléon, just recently
beatified. We are committed to its future and to its ongoing
development. We will rely upon your commitment, ingenuity, and
ongoing collaboration to ensure the vibrancy of our shared mission.
Our final word to you is: “with you, we share a mission; for you, we
are your brothers.”
With deep gratitude,

The Capitulants of the XXXV General Chapter of the Society of Mary

Selected Source Books of Citations
Arnaiz, José María, SM et al. Principles of Marianist Educational

Praxis. Translated by Charles H. Miller, SM. Rome: SM General
Administration, 2014. https://www.marianist.org/education/
Eng/02_Principles%20of%20Marianist%20Educational%20
Praxis.pdf.
Glodek, Stephen M., SM. Marianist Educational Praxis: Institutions,

Agents and Recipients. Rome: SM General Administration, 2014.
https://www.marianist.org/education/Eng/05_Marianist%20
Educational%20Praxis.pdf.
Glodek, Stephen M., SM. Marianist Praxis, Building Marianist

Educational Culture. Dayton: North American Center for
Marianist Studies, 2012.
Lackner, Joseph, SM. Marianist Charism and Educational Mission.

Rome: SM General Administration, 2014. https://www.
marianist.org/education/Eng/01_Marianist%20Charism%20
and%20Educational%20Mision.pdf.

Moulin, Charles-Henri, SM, and Eddie Alexandre, SM et al. Identity
of Marianist Education. Translated by Charles H. Miller,
SM. Rome: SM General Administration, 2017. https://
www.marianist.org/education/Eng/04_Identity%20of%20
Marianist%20Education.pdf.
Society of Mary. Marianist Identity of Our Apostolic Works. Rome:

Curia Generalizia dei Marianisti, 2018.
Soriano, Javier Cortés, SM, and Jesús Ángel Viguera Llorente.

Leadership and Animation: Administration in the Service of
Education. Translated by Donald J. Wallace, SM and Charles H.
Miller, SM. Rome: SM General Administration, 2015. https://
www.marianist.org/education/Eng/06_Leadership%20and%20
animation.pdf.

Endnotes
i
William J. Campbell, SM, Province of the Pacific; Luis María
Lizarraga, SM, Province of Zaragoza; L. Santiago Valencia, SM,
Province of Peru; Thomas F. Giardino, SM, General Administration.
ii
Speaking of a common identity or “characteristics” is not to imply
total uniqueness. We share many of these elements with other
educational endeavors. However, the experience over the years
reveals that there is a distinctive Marianist spirit and method or
“family likeness” as Father Chaminade called it. This distinctiveness
develops from the original founding charism as it is lived out
in the particular people and circumstances in the history of the
educational effort.
iii
Quentin W. J. Hakenewerth, SM, Closing Remarks, General
Leadership Assembly, July 24, 1994, Nairobi, Kenya.
iv
The Congregation for Catholic Education, The Religious
Dimension of Education in a Catholic School (April 7, 1988), no. 29.
v
Charles-Henri Moulin, SM, and Eddie Alexandre, SM et al, Identity
of Marianist Education, vol 4, trans. Charles H. Miller, SM (Rome:
SM General Administration, 2017), 115.

vi
The addition of “integrity of creation” recognizes the
contemporary understanding of the vital awareness and action
toward what Pope Francis says in his encyclical, Laudato Sí: On
Care for Our Common Home, regarding, “dialogue about how we
are shaping the future of our planet.” Pope Francis explicitly states
that Laudato Sí “is now added to the body of the Church’s social
teaching” (No. 15).
vii
While most everyone works to gain resources to support
themselves and/or their families or others, all are hired and
expected to support the mission of the school, and it is the basis for
their salary. Many go beyond this perspective to understand their
work as a consequence of their baptismal vocation.
viii
The term Marianist, used as an adjective in this document,
ordinarily refers to the situation wherein the SM owns or
sponsors an institution. This means that the SM province or
region is the proprietor or has direct responsibility for the
philosophy, programming/curricula, teacher selection, finances
and management with the intention of continuity. However, in
some situations a diocese may own the institution or the SM may
“co-sponsor” a school with another religious institute as a result of
a merger. Other such modes of collaboration may also allow for an
appropriate expression and implementation of the Characteristics
of Marianist Education. This document also recognizes that
Marianist can likewise refer to other branches of the Marianist
Family.
ix
“RL” refers to Rule of Life of the Society of Mary, 1983.
x
Curia Generalizia dei Marianisti Rome, “Assuring the Marianist
Identity of Our Apostolic Works” (Rome, 2018), 12-13.
xi
By spirituality, we mean “a body of principles, methods, values and
images which motivate and guide the life of the spirit. It gives form
or structure …. It educates and guides our interior life and forms
our vision and our personality” (Vision and Journey, Document of
the SM General Chapter of 1986, no. 59). Mission here refers to a
being sent forth for a particular purpose or goal. In the words of
Chaminade, commenting on his being named Missionary Apostolic,

“… so as to revive and rekindle everywhere the divine torch of
faith, to show to an amazed world everywhere imposing numbers
of Catholics of all ages and walks of life, of both sexes, who have
banded together in special organizations, and who practice our
religion in all the purity of its dogma and morality with neither self-
righteousness nor human respect.” (Letters of Father Chaminade, no.
1076 to Gregory XVI, September 16, 1838)
xii
Manuel Cortés, SM, “Marianist Spirit and Education,” in Identity
of Marianist Education, Charles-Henri Moulin, SM, and Eddie
Alexandre, SM et al (Rome: SM General Administration, 2017), 257.
xiii
The Congregation for Catholic Education, The Catholic School
(March 19, 1977), no. 31.
xiv
Mallory Green, campus minister at St Mary’s High School, St.
Louis, Missouri. Quoted in ALIVE (Summer 2018), 18.
xv
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Papa Francisco, A Los Educadores (Rome:
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2014), 101.
xvi
Jason Kertz, middle-school counselor and coach at Chaminade
College Preparatory School, Los Angeles, California. Quoted in
ALIVE (Summer 2018), 18.
xvii
John Paul II, Vita Consecrata, Apostolic Exhortation on the
Consecrated Life (March 25, 1996), no. 96.
xviii
Mary Ann Glendon, Intervention as Head of the Vatican
Delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women, September
5, 1995.
xix
John Paul II, “Message of His Holiness Pope John Paul II for the
XXIX World Day of Peace,” January 1, 1996, no. 7.
xx
Constitutions of the Society of Mary 1839, art. 253.
xxi
Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Gaudium et spes, Pastoral
Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, no. 1.
xxii
“Message of His Holiness …,” nos. 6, 9.

xxiii
Federico Mayor, “A New Beginning,” The UNESCO Courier,
November 1995, 7. Mayor served as the Director-General of
UNESCO from 1987-1999.

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Cover image photo of stained glass window taken by Larry Burgess

Preface to the 1996 Edition.....................................................................5

Preface to the 1996 Edition

Education has always been a mixture of all these elements—and

Accordingly, this elaboration of the governing principles of

The effort continued in the first days of the Society’s educational

Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary 5

The international team of Marianistsi who has written this

I believe that the educational efforts of the Marianist Family can

• Transnational: Developing and implementing the

6 Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary

The leadership of the Society of Mary is behind this initiative. In

The second sign that gives me hope was the concern

I share this conviction, springing from my visits to almost all the

This document acknowledges that there are Marianist educational

Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary 7

Finally, I want to thank all those who have contributed to this

8 Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary

Adaptation and change is one of the Characteristics of Marianist

The Characteristics have spread around the Marianist world. In the

Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary 9

The 1996 General Chapter of the Society of Mary, once having

However, the present General Council has reaffirmed the

10 Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary

An important addition is the “Message to All Collaborators in

Accordingly, I want to thank Dr. George Lisjak, Director of the

Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary 11

(1) The General Chapter of the Society of Mary of 1991 called

• educate for formation in faith

(2) This document, with its description of these Characteristics

12 Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary

(4) Marianist education aims to sow, cultivate and bring to fruition

(5) Consonant with the tradition of the Catholic Church and of

(6) Grounded in this faith-filled view, the Marianist tradition

Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary 13

(7) This simple faithfulness to the gospel and to Marianist

Every Marianist work is an incarnation of the

14 Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary

(9) The Characteristics of Marianist Education take their distinctive

(10) Upon his return to Bordeaux, Chaminade’s sense of urgency

Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary 15

(12) Secondly, Chaminade knew that transforming the social

(13) Finally, Father Chaminade worked to infuse these communities

Spirituality and Education

(14) Marianist spirituality deeply shapes the work of those educators

16 Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary

(15) Chaminade intended the educational works he founded to be

How can a charism, a spirit, a spirituality, inspire a

(16) Finally, Marianist spirituality calls for communities of faith

Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary 17

(18) In light of the contemporary situation, this mission seems a

(20) If Marianist spirituality profoundly shapes Marianist

18 Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary

• educate for formation in faith

Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary 19

Educate for Formation in Faith

A. Strive to imitate Mary’s example of faith and discipleship.

(21) Students in Marianist schools see Mary as a woman who is

B. Be a living witness through a personal and committed faith of

20 Characteristics of Marianist Education Society of Mary